The Soul Of A Pilgrim

The renowned author of eight books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valters Paintner takes readers on a new kind of pilgrimage: an inner journey to discover the heart of God. Eight stages of the pilgrim's way--from hearing the call to coming home--are accompanied by scripture stories of great biblical journeys and the author's unique and creative practices of prayer, writing, and photography. As she did in The Artist's Rule and Eyes of the Heart, Christine Valters Paintner once again helps readers travel to the frontiers of their souls to discover the hidden presence of God. In The Soul of a Pilgrim, Paintner identifies eight stages of the pilgrim's way and shows how to follow these steps to make an intentional, transformative journey to the reader's inner "wild edges." Each phase of the exploration requires a distinct practice such as packing lightly, being uncomfortable, or embracing the unknown. Paintner shows how to cultivate attentiveness to the divine through deep listening, patience, and opening oneself to the gifts that arise in the midst of discomfort. Each of the eight chapters offers reflections on the themes, a scripture story, an invitation to the practice of lectio divina, and a creative exploration through photography and writing.

You can only go so far for so long before you find the limits of yourself. For Phileena Heuertz that moment arrived, mercifully, around the same time as a sabbatical to mark her twelfth year of service with an international organization working with some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Activists often see contemplation as a luxury, the sort of thing necessarily set aside in the quest to see the world set aright. But in Pilgrimage of a Soul we see that contemplation is essential—not only to a life of sustained commitment to the justice and righteousness of God, but to the fully human life that the Holy Spirit beckons each of us to. Tracing seven movements from a kind of sleepfulness to a kind of wakefulness, Phileena shows us that life is a journey that repeats itself as Christ leads us deeper and deeper into our true selves and a truer knowledge of God. This revised edition includes practices with each chapter, as well as questions for group discussion and individual reflection.

An intellectually stimulating, profoundly inspiring anthology, wherein 60 authors reveal their own spiritual journeys and examine timeless problems of significance.

A journey full of lost souls, gravity defying landscapes, and creatures that stretch the ability of the human imagination await. Simon Floyd, a man whose story on earth is ending, is about to discover firsthand all that the human spirit can conjure. Simon is given a second chance, and though he does not know it, he is about to embark upon an adventure that has the ability to reshape the universe. In his first published novel, author Samuel Kane crafts a new and intricate world that is both familiar and foreign. A world complete with historical figures, fantastical creatures, and an inter-dimensional logic that Simon must learn to navigate if he is to have any chance at redemption.  The Pilgrim’s soul is an imaginative romp into the human psyche, transporting readers into a place and time of eternal possibilities. Anyone who has contemplated the afterlife will find something to love in this book.

“Wandering, one gathers honey,” observes the Aitareya Brahmana. In this spirit Ravi Ravindra, renowned for his integration of physics and comparative religions, explores the heart of Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism to define a universal spiritual path that transcends any tradition. People with a pilgrim soul, he says, are open to a freedom from all that is known. They seek to practice mindfulness in each moment, so that washing the dishes or emptying the garbage becomes a sacred act; they seek to enter the dimension of eternity, realizing that the eternal is always present, right here, right now. Wisdom is the ability to act freshly in time while being anchored in eternity, says Ravindra. This deceptively simple small volume contains a wealth of wisdom for living that way.

The Pilgrim Soul, which was originally published in 1952, tells the legend of Dolly Copp of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a young bride she moved with her husband Hayes to their homestead in the virgin forests of 19th century New Hampshire. Together, they built a farm, raised a family, and warmly opened their home to many travelers who passed by their door. “Anne Miller Downes has re-created in novel form the New England historical legend of Hayes & Dolly Copp.”—Saturday Review.

Imaginative, magical stories delve into the lives of such characters as an aging hero with the power to remedy the Mideast crisis and a petty thief who steals an ancient Aztec healing stone. Reprint. K. PW.